


Sorbonne, France. 1924

by Lieju



Series: Getting Together Young (René/Indy) [1]
Category: Indiana Jones Series
Genre: M/M, an au where rene and indy became a couple when they were students together, and stayed together i guess, flirting with archaeology, i mean can you prove they didn't have a thing back in their uni days in canon?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:48:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24057778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lieju/pseuds/Lieju
Summary: Sorbonne, France. 1924.Indiana feels he has made a very good friend in a fellow student René he is roommates with. In fact, if he was a girl Indiana would very much like to kiss him.Probably best not to think about it too much.
Relationships: Rene Belloq/Henry "Indiana" Jones
Series: Getting Together Young (René/Indy) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1735564
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Sorbonne, France. 1924

”Jones!”

René waved the newspaper, grinning. ”Look what I got.”

Indiana's curiosity was piqued. He pulled back to make room at the table for his friend. ”Is that the-”

”The Times! From London! I got it delivered!” He leafed through the paper even as a crowd of Sorbonne university students was gathering around them.

Ever since The Times had gotten the exclusivity to Howard Carter's archaeological excavation in the Valley of Kings in the beginning of 1923 this had happened regularly. The crowd was hungry for news of the greatest archaeological find of the century.

René glanced around. ”You'll have your turn.” He lifted the newspaper. ”They have broken into the inner chamber.”

”Are there pictures?” Indiana asked.

”There are.”

René pulled the newspaper open, showing the images of the ancient tomb, printed on the cheap paper.

Indiana drew in breath, eyes fixed on the black-and- white image of the opened tomb of  _ Tut-ankh-Amen _ .

”Is that a chariot?”

”Yes. I wish I could see it in color! The article says its gold-plated, with precious stones-”

”Is there more about the curse?” a student asked. ”I heard there is a curse.”

”There's not,” Indiana said. ”Curses don't exist.”

”Even if they did, incurring the wrath of gods is a small price to pay for a find like this,” René said. He flashed a grin at Indiana. ”I'm joking. No such thing as magical curses. In any case, there's only a short mention of the curse nonsense thankfully! I am not interested in whatever incident they're trying to tie into the excavation this time. 'oh, Carter's cousin's nanny's namesake stubbed her toe yesterday must the cuuuurse'.” He rolled his eyes. ”I want details... Actual details about the objects they found-”

”They _do_ say something about the curse though?” a fellow student insisted.

”I want to see the pictures!”

The paper was, eventually, lost to the masses and Indiana watched it being passed from person to person.

René tapped on his arm and leaned in closer. ”Never mind that, I want to show you something. Something better,” he whispered conspiratorially.

”Oh? What is it?”

”You'll see. Later.”

* * *

Later, when they had returned to the Paris flat they were living in René led Indiana to his bedroom.

Indiana sat on the bed, watching as René pulled something from the drawer.

René joined him on the bed, pulling out a tiny velvet bag.

”You need to promise me you won't tell anyone.”

Indiana lifted an eyebrow. ”What is it?”

”Promise. On your- what was it? Scout honor?”

”Fine! You're killing me with suspense here-”

A small turquoise scarab appeared on René's palm.

Indiana gasped. ”That's- Is that from the university museum?”

”Yes. Don't worry I'll return it.”

”How did you get it?”

René turned the small object in his hands. ”I happened to see an opportunity and took it.” He gave Indiana a look. ”I am taking good care of it. And returning it soon. No one will even notice it was gone.”

He turned his attention back to the object. ”Imagine... Thousands of years ago an artist took a piece of rock and with his tools fashioned it into this shape... Taking his vision, his cultural ideas of divinity and how that related to tiny silly insects that roll balls of dung, and giving it form...”

He ran his fingers on the thing, turning it around. ”Writing down the name of his king on it... Was it made in celebration? As an amulet invoking the god king's power? Maybe it was even made to put in a tomb with some court official or a royal for them to take to the afterlife with them...”

”And now it's here.”

René turned to look at him. ”Exactly. How is your knowledge on hieroglyphics?”

”Not too great,” Indiana admitted. ”I should study it more.”

René turned the scarab to show off the ancient writing on the underside. ”Ramses the great's name. We're living exciting times... The leaps made in Egyptology lately...”

”Yeah,” Indiana was finding it difficult to think of things to say. He was weirdly fascinated by the enthralled look on his friend's face. And the way his nimble fingers caressed the small relic.

”It's wonderful,” René told him. ”This! _This_ is history! A remnant of a time long since passed... A connection to an another time and place...”

Indiana looked deep into his eyes and nodded enthusiastically.

René turned to look at the scarab again. ”This thing... This thing has travelled a long way to get here. From a grave perhaps to the pocket of some looter, maybe in ancient times. Sold and resold, forgotten for a time until it was passed down to someone new... Until the museum curator chose to use some of their funds to buy it for their collection... But imagine what Howard Carter is doing, right this moment! Excavating an _untouched_ tomb. Stepping into the chamber, the first living soul in there in thousands of years... Facing the ancient king who had been sleeping there, forgotten until now...”

Indiana stared at him. He understood what he meant. He would have given anything to be at the dig now with Carter.

But-

René's attention was on the small relic once more. Indiana had sort of liked when he had looked at him-

Indiana scooted closer to him on the bed. He reached his hand on the scarab, intertwining their fingers. René did look at him then, an unreadable expression on his face.

Indiana was suddenly very aware of him, and how close he was sitting. And how warm his fingers were.

 _It's unfair_ , he thought, not sure what he even meant.

He squeezed René's hand, meeting his gaze. It was evaluating somehow. Like Indiana was an another curiosity under his scrutiny. Indiana didn't really mind it.

”I know a thing,” Indiana said. ”I mean, I happened to overhear something.”

”Oh?”

He was interested. Good. Indiana knew he had something that'd impress him.

”There was a shipment to the university yesterday from a private collector. Some tablets they want help translating.”

”I haven't heard anything about that.”

”They didn't want anyone to know, some of that stuff is gold-plated- so- Anyway it's in the dean's office.”

A soft smile played on René's lips. ”What are you suggesting, Indiana?”

He was excited, definitely.

”We could go there- during the night- it's pretty easy to get in- We could get in easy and take a look. Just a look, obviously. No harm done.”

”We could.”

Indiana nodded. ”If we wanted to.”

They were very close to each other now, whispering in hushed tones.

And a realization hit Indiana.

_If he was a girl I'd very much like to kiss him right now._

It was a silly thought, of course. His friend wasn't a girl.

_Unfair-_

He was still holding his hand.

Indiana let go, and looked away. ”I mean, we might get in trouble. If we got caught.”

René smiled. ”Then we just have to make sure we won't be.”

* * *

”Where have you learned to do that?” Indiana asked.

René looked up from picking the lock to the university building. ”I gather things. Learn things that are useful.”

”Useful.”

”Well it is, no? It was you who suggested this little excursion.”

”Never said I disapproved.”

René frowned. ”Are you really planning to wear that ridiculous hat?”

”Why not?”

”You're recognizable.”

”Only if people notice us.”

René opened the door. ”Here we go.”

They made their way through the dark empty hallways that were illuminated by the moonlight.

Indiana opened the door to the dean's office. ”Here.”

The wooden boxes lay opened in the room, but the stone tablets were still there, in the midst of hay. Indiana walked to the window and closed the curtains. ”If we want a closer look we need to turn on the light...”

He ran his finger on the stone tablet. “A funerary stele. Easy enough to translate... Very formulaic.” He pointed at the easily recognizable hieroglyphs at the beginning of the inscription. ”See? The offering formula... This one is some court official. Look here, here's the title, the overseer of the granaries, I think...”

”I thought you said your ancient Egyptian was rusty.”

”I read up on it before heading here. Come on, help me lift this out, I want a better look at the one underneath-”

The next one they uncovered was a half-broken dark grey stone tablet. Indiana examined the images, trying to decide where to start deciphering it.

”It's related to a military victory, I think,” René said. He pointed at the cartouche. ”I don't recognize the name of the king outright but-”

”Looks New Kingdom,” Indiana said. ”A military campaign, likely in Nubia based on these...”

So focused was he that he hadn't realized the sound before René tugged at his sleeve.

” _Putain,”_ he cursed. ”We need to get out of here. Quick, the light!”

Indiana looked up. ”The night guard! I thought we'd have more time!”

”The tablets!” René hissed. ”We can't leave them like this they will notice-”

”Yes we can,” Indiana said, springing into action, dashing across the office to hit the light switch. Darkness fell.

”Sh!” Indy hissed.

He listened. The footsteps were approaching and fast. The guard was walking towards the room they were in. Had he noticed there had been light in the office? Was it someone else, a fellow student or even a burglar after the plates?

In any case the only way out of the office would get them on a collision course with whoever it was.

So Indiana did the only thing he could: grabbed René's arm, opened the closet, and pushed him inside. He joined René even as the French student stumbled over the boxes piled there.

Only when Indiana pulled the door closed he realized the closet was slightly smaller than he had thought. To René's credit he had made no sound, even as he awkwardly settled against Indiana.

Indiana held his breath, keeping quiet in the dark, listening to the sounds. The human form next to him was warm. Quiet.

A bit of bare skin brushed against Indiana's cheek and he was struck with a stray thought.

_I can't tell if that's his hand or cheek..._

There was something to that thought.

He couldn't tell.

But he was warm, and Indiana heard his breath...

But in the dark it was impossible to tell if the human leaning on him was even a man or a woman.

Indiana felt like he was wandering towards a realization of some kind. Like he was digging, removing one layer of earth after one other to head towards the truth...

He heard the sound of the door to the office opening.

Someone was in the room now.

This had been a terrible idea. Could they talk their way out of this? They'd be expelled... Maybe he could convince whoever that was that they had been working late and were hiding in the closet because... They had gotten scared there was a burglar..?

Footsteps sounded in the office.

Indiana drew in breath, quietly, slowly...

The footsteps became more distant and the door to the office was closed.

They sat in the dark for some time until a beam of light illuminated the dark.

Indiana could see René carefully opening the door and looking out.

”I think the course is clear... Let's go,” he whispered.

He got up, leaning on Indiana a bit as he did so, snapping Indy out of his reverie.

Of course it was him... The warm form against him had been René...

But that too was significant...

Indiana got up and followed him to the office and then, carefully, to the hallway. Indiana took his hand. ”This way.”

René followed him. Indiana led him to the window, closer than the door they had entered through.

They stumbled out of the open window, René falling on the grass.

Indiana let out a laugh. He pulled René up. ”Come on!”

They ran into the night, stopping to catch their breath in the safety of the small space between the buildings.

René laughed, leaning on the wall. ”That was ridiculous!”

He was very close now, his body alongside Indy's.

Indiana met his eyes.

René took hold of his shoulders and kissed him on the cheek.

Indiana froze.

René gave him an odd look. ”Just excitement. It's a French thing.”

Indiana nodded. But René stayed close to him...

It would have been impossible to pretend the form pressing against him was female...

Indiana grasped René's shirt, fingers brushing against him.

But maybe it didn't matter.

He had a feeling he was standing at the cusp of an earth-shattering discovery. That if he took one more step everything would change-

René lifted his hand to stroke his cheek and pulled Indiana down into a kiss, caressing his lips with his.

Indiana flinched in shock.

René let go. ” _That_ wasn't- That wasn't just because I'm French.”

Indiana nodded. ”I see.” He shifted awkwardly, pushing René closer to the wall.

René looked up at him. Indiana realized he was basically pinning the shorter man against the wall.

_I really should let go._

But if he did René might walk away, and they would never mention this incident-

René sighed. ”Never mind. I got excited-”

Indiana could feel his chance slipping away. He moved his hands to cup René's face and kissed him again.

It felt nice.

René returned the kiss hungrily, embracing Indiana.

It felt right.

And when Indiana broke the kiss, gasping for breath, he knew he had stumbled into something monumental that had been right in front of him this whole time.


End file.
